Editing Minamoto no Yoritomo (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Seigan-ji (Nagoya) sanmon.JPG|thumb|left|Gate of [[Seigan-ji (Atsuta-ku, Nagoya)|Seigan-ji]] in [[Nagoya]], the site of the former family villa and his birthplace]]
Yoritomo was the third son of [[Minamoto no Yoshitomo]], heir of the [[Minamoto]] ([[Seiwa Genji]]) clan, and his official wife, [[Yura-Gozen]], daughter of [[Fujiwara no Suenori]], High Priest of [[Atsuta Shrine]] and a member of the powerful [[Fujiwara clan]]. Yoritomo was born in the family villa, on the western side of Atsuta Shrine, in [[Atsuta-ku, Nagoya|Atsuta]], [[Nagoya]], [[Owari Province]]<ref>"系図纂要(Keizusanyo)"</ref><ref>"尾張名所図会(Owarimeishozue)"</ref><ref>"尾張志(owarishi)"</ref> (present-day [[Seigan-ji (Atsuta-ku, Nagoya)|Seigan-ji]]). At the time, his grandfather [[Minamoto no Tameyoshi]] was the head of the Minamoto clan. His childhood name was '''Oniwakamaru''' (鬼武丸). He was a descendant of [[Emperor Seiwa]].<ref name="EB"/>

In 1156, factional divisions in the court erupted into open warfare within the [[Imperial Court in Kyoto|capital]]. The [[cloistered rule|cloistered]] [[Emperor Toba]] and his son [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa]] sided with the son of Fujiwara regent [[Fujiwara no Tadazane]], [[Fujiwara no Tadamichi]] as well as [[Taira no Kiyomori]] (heir of the [[Taira]] clan at the time), while [[Emperor Sutoku|Cloistered Emperor Sutoku]] sided with Tadazane's younger son, [[Fujiwara no Yorinaga]]. This is known as the [[Hōgen Rebellion]].<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|210–211, 255}}

The [[Minamoto]] clan were split. The head of the clan, Tameyoshi, sided with Sutoku. However, his son, Yoshitomo (father of Yoritomo), sided with Toba and Go-Shirakawa, as well as Kiyomori. In the end, the supporters of Go-Shirakawa won the civil war, thus ensuring victory for Yoshitomo and Kiyomori. Sutoku was placed under house arrest, and Yorinaga was fatally wounded in battle. Tameyoshi was executed by the forces of Yoshitomo. Nonetheless, Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori were ruthless, and Yoshitomo found himself as the head of the [[Minamoto]] clan, while Yoritomo became the heir.<ref name=Sansom>{{Cite book |last=Sansom |first=George |title=A History of Japan to 1334 |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1958 |isbn=0804705232 |pages=210–211, 255–258}}</ref>

Yoritomo and the [[Minamoto]] clan descended from the imperial family on his father's side. Nonetheless, in [[Kyoto]], the [[Taira]] clan, now under the leadership of Kiyomori, and the Minamoto clan, under the leadership of Yoshitomo, began to factionalize again.<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|239–241, 256–257}}

Four years later, Kiyomori supported [[Fujiwara no Michinori]], also known as Shinzei. However, Yoshitomo supported [[Fujiwara no Nobuyori]]. This was known as the [[Heiji Rebellion]]. Nonetheless, the [[Minamoto]] were not well prepared, and the [[Taira]] took control of [[Kyoto]]. Shinzei's mansion was attacked by the Taira; Shinzei escaped, only to be captured and decapitated shortly thereafter. The Taira then [[Siege of Sanjō Palace|burned]] the ex-emperor's palace, defeating the Minamoto. Yoshitomo fled the capital but was later betrayed and executed by a retainer.<ref name=Sansom/>

In the aftermath, harsh terms were imposed on the Minamoto and their allies. Only Yoshitomo's three young boys remained alive, so that Kiyomori and the Taira clan were now the undisputed leaders of Japan.<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|258–260}}  Yoritomo, the new head of the Minamoto, was not executed by Kiyomori because of pleas from Kiyomori's stepmother but was exiled. Yoritomo's brothers, [[Minamoto no Noriyori]] and [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune]] were also allowed to live.<ref name=Sato>{{Cite book |last=Sato |author-link=Hiroaki Sato (translator) |first=Hiroaki |title=Legends of the Samurai |publisher=Overlook Duckworth |year=1995 |isbn=9781590207307 |page=30}}</ref>

Yoritomo grew up in exile. He married into the [[Hōjō clan]], led by [[Hōjō Tokimasa]], marrying Tokimasa's daughter, [[Hōjō Masako]].<ref name=Sato/>{{rp|147}}<ref name=Sansom/>{{rp|371}} Meanwhile, he was notified of events in [[Kyoto]].<ref name=Turnbull3>{{Cite book |last=Turnbull |first=Stephen |title=The Samurai, A Military History |publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. |year=1977 |isbn=0026205408 |pages=40, 50–51}}</ref>